Governor highlights $400 million in coastal work

Published: Friday, December 11, 2009 at 11:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, December 11, 2009 at 11:30 a.m.

HOUMA — Gov. Bobby Jindal gave local leaders, state legislators and coastal officials an early holiday gift Thursday.

The governor announced the completion of one of the largest coastal-restoration projects in Terrebonne's history, unveiled $30 million more in restoration projects planned for the new year and issued a strongly worded rebuke to the Army Corps of Engineers. More than $400 million in state, local and federal money has been spent on 20 hurricane-protection and coastal-restoration projects in Terrebonne, Jindal said.

Next year, $778 million more will be spent on coastal-restoration and hurricane protection statewide.

“We will continue to fight to save our coast because it's the best gift we can give our children,” Jindal told a group of local officials at Terrebonne's Waterlife Museum in downtown Houma.

Thanks to state money secured in the 2009 legislative session, Jindal said, state and local money acquired to build the Morganza-to-the-Gulf hurricane-protection project has reached $250 million. That's enough to bring about 75 percent of the levee system from Dularge to Pointe-aux-Chenes to a height of 10 feet, Jindal said.

Morganza is a federal system of levees, floodgates and a lock on the Houma Navigation Canal designed to protect Terrebonne and parts of Lafourche from storm flooding. The system has been stuck in Army Corps of Engineers bureaucracy for more than a decade.

The project was approved for construction by Congress in 2007, but the corps sent it back to be restudied because officials said it had grown too expensive and needed to be re-evaluated to meet post-Katrina hurricane-protection standards. Last year, Terrebonne levee officials, tired of waiting on the corps, began construction on an interim version of the levee project.

Jindal called on the corps to end studies and use the money Congress has appropriated for Morganza to begin construction on the Houma Navigation Canal Lock, intended to stop storm surges and erosive salt water from entering lower Terrebonne. A letter demanding action, written by Jindal's top coastal aide, Garret Graves, and a coalition of coastal leaders, was also sent to corps officials.

“Hopefully the corps will hear our message loud and clear,” said state Sen. Norby Chabert, D-Houma.

The lock is the anchor of the Morganza system, Graves said, and the state has already set aside $43 million specifically for its construction.

“We're asking the corps to expedite projects like Morganza and immediately join the state in construction of the lock on the Houma Navigation Canal,” Jindal said.

Delaying “doesn't make sense when there is repeated flooding in Terrebonne Parish, causing hundreds of millions of dollars in FEMA claims,” the governor said.

Jindal also heralded completion of the largest coastal-restoration project in Terrebonne's history. The Lake Mechant project, a $39 million shoreline-protection and wetland-restoration effort, was finished last month. The project rebuilt and enhanced more than 902 acres, the equivalent of about 637 football fields, on the north shore of Lake Mechant. Lake Mechant's land bridge, which separates the Gulf of Mexico from brackish and freshwater wetlands, was restored, Jindal said.

Lake Mechant lies 20 miles southwest of Houma. The land bridge, a sliver of land that separates the lake's southern edge from the Gulf, and restored marsh will help to protect Dularge, Dulac and Houma from storm surges.

The work's completion comes on the heels of another $30 million federal project that built more than 300 acres of marsh and 13,000 feet of beach and dunes on Whiskey Island, off Terrebonne's coast. Another 200 acres of marsh was built in Lake Boudreaux, in south-central Terrebonne, in December 2008.

All of those projects are adding up and helping to create a more sustainable coast, Jindal added.

“This year, we're on track to have the lowest rate of wetland loss in decades,” he said.

Jindal also revealed three new coastal projects that will begin next year, including a $3.8 million federal project to build protection along the south shore of Lake DeCade.

The shoreline of the lake is eroding, exposing southern marshes to waves that can destroy the fragile wetlands. The project will place rocks along 1.6 miles of shore to curb erosion.

Another $17.6 million federal project will improve water flow and freshwater marshes around Lake Penchant.

The area has been damaged by hurricanes, saltwater intrusion and man-made canals that have changed water flow in the area and contributed to erosion. The project will strengthen shorelines and prevent erosion on area bayous and canals. It also adds floodgates and drainage to help move more fresh water into marshes southeast of the lake.

Finally, an $8 million project will repair shorelines along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway west of Houma to prevent wave action from damaging nearby marsh. The project is being paid for with oil-and-gas revenue from the state for coastal projects.

Strengthening coastal protection is especially important to Terrebonne, home to one of the fastest-growing economies and lowest unemployment rates in the nation, Jindal said.

“Since taking office, we've been aggressively pursuing strategies and solutions to speed up coastal-restoration and hurricane-protection projects,” Jindal said. “These investments are vital to our state. Not only for the protection of our land and property, but most importantly for the safety of our citizens.”

<p>HOUMA — Gov. Bobby Jindal gave local leaders, state legislators and coastal officials an early holiday gift Thursday. </p><p>The governor announced the completion of one of the largest coastal-restoration projects in Terrebonne's history, unveiled $30 million more in restoration projects planned for the new year and issued a strongly worded rebuke to the Army Corps of Engineers. More than $400 million in state, local and federal money has been spent on 20 hurricane-protection and coastal-restoration projects in Terrebonne, Jindal said.</p><p>Next year, $778 million more will be spent on coastal-restoration and hurricane protection statewide. </p><p>“We will continue to fight to save our coast because it's the best gift we can give our children,” Jindal told a group of local officials at Terrebonne's Waterlife Museum in downtown Houma. </p><p>Thanks to state money secured in the 2009 legislative session, Jindal said, state and local money acquired to build the Morganza-to-the-Gulf hurricane-protection project has reached $250 million. That's enough to bring about 75 percent of the levee system from Dularge to Pointe-aux-Chenes to a height of 10 feet, Jindal said.</p><p>Morganza is a federal system of levees, floodgates and a lock on the Houma Navigation Canal designed to protect Terrebonne and parts of Lafourche from storm flooding. The system has been stuck in Army Corps of Engineers bureaucracy for more than a decade.</p><p>The project was approved for construction by Congress in 2007, but the corps sent it back to be restudied because officials said it had grown too expensive and needed to be re-evaluated to meet post-Katrina hurricane-protection standards. Last year, Terrebonne levee officials, tired of waiting on the corps, began construction on an interim version of the levee project. </p><p>Jindal called on the corps to end studies and use the money Congress has appropriated for Morganza to begin construction on the Houma Navigation Canal Lock, intended to stop storm surges and erosive salt water from entering lower Terrebonne. A letter demanding action, written by Jindal's top coastal aide, Garret Graves, and a coalition of coastal leaders, was also sent to corps officials.</p><p>“Hopefully the corps will hear our message loud and clear,” said state Sen. Norby Chabert, D-Houma.</p><p>The lock is the anchor of the Morganza system, Graves said, and the state has already set aside $43 million specifically for its construction.</p><p>“We're asking the corps to expedite projects like Morganza and immediately join the state in construction of the lock on the Houma Navigation Canal,” Jindal said.</p><p>Delaying “doesn't make sense when there is repeated flooding in Terrebonne Parish, causing hundreds of millions of dollars in FEMA claims,” the governor said.</p><p>Jindal also heralded completion of the largest coastal-restoration project in Terrebonne's history. The Lake Mechant project, a $39 million shoreline-protection and wetland-restoration effort, was finished last month. The project rebuilt and enhanced more than 902 acres, the equivalent of about 637 football fields, on the north shore of Lake Mechant. Lake Mechant's land bridge, which separates the Gulf of Mexico from brackish and freshwater wetlands, was restored, Jindal said.</p><p>Lake Mechant lies 20 miles southwest of Houma. The land bridge, a sliver of land that separates the lake's southern edge from the Gulf, and restored marsh will help to protect Dularge, Dulac and Houma from storm surges.</p><p>The work's completion comes on the heels of another $30 million federal project that built more than 300 acres of marsh and 13,000 feet of beach and dunes on Whiskey Island, off Terrebonne's coast. Another 200 acres of marsh was built in Lake Boudreaux, in south-central Terrebonne, in December 2008. </p><p>All of those projects are adding up and helping to create a more sustainable coast, Jindal added.</p><p>“This year, we're on track to have the lowest rate of wetland loss in decades,” he said.</p><p>Jindal also revealed three new coastal projects that will begin next year, including a $3.8 million federal project to build protection along the south shore of Lake DeCade.</p><p>The shoreline of the lake is eroding, exposing southern marshes to waves that can destroy the fragile wetlands. The project will place rocks along 1.6 miles of shore to curb erosion. </p><p>Another $17.6 million federal project will improve water flow and freshwater marshes around Lake Penchant.</p><p>The area has been damaged by hurricanes, saltwater intrusion and man-made canals that have changed water flow in the area and contributed to erosion. The project will strengthen shorelines and prevent erosion on area bayous and canals. It also adds floodgates and drainage to help move more fresh water into marshes southeast of the lake.</p><p>Finally, an $8 million project will repair shorelines along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway west of Houma to prevent wave action from damaging nearby marsh. The project is being paid for with oil-and-gas revenue from the state for coastal projects.</p><p>Jindal also highlighted two $600,000 man-made reefs recently completed in Lake Pelto to help enhance fish habitat in Terrebonne's inshore bays.</p><p>Strengthening coastal protection is especially important to Terrebonne, home to one of the fastest-growing economies and lowest unemployment rates in the nation, Jindal said.</p><p>“Since taking office, we've been aggressively pursuing strategies and solutions to speed up coastal-restoration and hurricane-protection projects,” Jindal said. “These investments are vital to our state. Not only for the protection of our land and property, but most importantly for the safety of our citizens.”</p>